FIFA has released a statement in support of its president, Gianni Infantino, in response to what it describes as a coordinated effort to undermine his leadership at the organization. The statement comes after a report by The Daily Telegraph raised concerns about a payment made by UEFA to a female staff member who worked with Infantino during his time as the general secretary of European soccer’s governing body.
UEFA confirmed that a “departure payment” was made to the employee and stated that it complied with the regulations in place at that time. Infantino had a 16-year tenure at UEFA before being elected as FIFA president.
In its statement, FIFA accused those critical of Infantino of attempting to weaken his authority and oust him from office without following proper procedures. The organization emphasized that efforts to discredit FIFA and its president were unwarranted and should not bypass established democratic processes.
FIFA denounced certain reports for containing unfounded allegations and misinformation, cautioning against presenting such claims as facts. The statement highlighted the need to respect the democratic mandate of the FIFA president and the institution he leads.
Infantino faced backlash over his proposal to sell World Cup profits to private equity, which was rejected by UEFA, CONCACAF, and the AFC. Despite the management board’s support for Infantino and his apology for the process, UEFA maintained its position to potentially boycott FIFA competitions until the plan was abandoned.
UEFA clarified that the exit payment made to the staff member was compliant with regulations at the time but noted that rules had been updated since 2016 to align with modern organizational standards.